YET
ANOTHER WATERMELON BAG
After
the huge success of my first watermelon inspired bag, I was requested to make
another one .. now if you have been following me and my blogs, you’ll know that
I realllllllly do not like to repeat my patterns.. so I decided to come up with
a new idea for my next watermelon inspired bag..
Smart
gurrrl, right ;) !
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The
beauty of this bag is that you can make it in just about any size you want.
Just go ahead and increase the rounds, and
you’ll have a larger bag.
Throw in a few
black beads and you get an authentic watermelon slice with seeds !
I’m
making this bag to be used to put in toilet accessories – so it does not
require a handle. I am, however, giving
you links for lining the bag and adding an I-cord if needed, so you can make
this a nice hanging bag too.
With
this blog, you get a whole load of new bag ideas.. and if you like swag / potli
bags, then you get a whole load of those ideas too.. check out the end of this
blog
Materials used : polyester purse yarn in cones , with
a 4 mm crochet hook ; fabric glue to seal ends ; stitch markers ; embroidery needle.
The yarn used today is not specific to this pattern.
You can use any yarn with a suitable hook to make this project to any size.
International yarns : Among the international yarns I have used in this thickness, I’d suggest Aunt Lydia Cotton 10, Aunt Lydia Bamboo-Viscose 10, DMC Petra, Sullivans knitting cotton (Australia), Milford Soft, Hilaza Rustica Eclat , Alize cotton yarn and Alize bamboo yarn.
Stitches used :
Starting slip knot : Here’s how you start with a slip knot. https://youtu.be/lJcqsVcs8cw
Starting slip knot 1 or the Sloppy Slip knot : This is a neat new way to start your work without a slip knot. https://youtu.be/YfC7KmGpifs
Foundation Single Crochet : fsc : To refresh your skill on the fsc, please view this video https://youtu.be/mcT85fwh4mA
Single Crochet : Sc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (2 lps on hk); yo, draw through both lps. One sc made. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/ghACqBpA-3k
First stitch for Single Crochet : This is how I like to start my row of sc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/6pVYRfsf4_M
Half Double Crochet : Hdc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk) ;
yo, draw through all 3 lps. One hdc made.
Check out the video at https://youtu.be/sDiELJdB2Dg
Chainless start for Half Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 start, and this is what I do to start my row of hdc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/lWXpl1KdbZ8
What is a slip stitch : Here is a neat video tutorial at https://youtu.be/weB3QNbA8Iw
Double Crochet : dc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk);
[yo, draw through 2 lps] twice. One dc made.
Check out the video at https://youtu.be/xdnjB27zpYo
Chainless start for Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 / ch – 3 start, and this is what I do to start my row of dc.
Check out the video at https://youtu.be/wskv3iTjRx0
Abbreviations used : (Using U.S
terminology)
lp(s)
: Loop(s) sc : Single crochet
dc
: Double crochet sp :
Space
sl-st
: Slip stitch ch
: Chain
st(s)
: Stitch(es) hk
: Hook
yo
: Yarn Over
Instructions using U.S terminology
Please note that I start all my rows with a ch 1, turning chain for ease.
Please check the top of this blog for easy video tutorials on all stitches used in today's pattern.
Please read through all my notes before you pick up your hook, so you know just where we're heading in our pattern.
As
usual, before we head off into our project, let’s take a quick look at what
we’re working on today. We will work two
halves to our bag and then we join the two halves together .. maybe add in a
little side extra bit .. (?) , put in a zipper along the flat top end, line it
.. and voila we’re done with our lovely bag.
You
can use this pattern to make any bag (i.e not just a watermelon one), but if
you’re making the watermelon bag, you need to use the three colours – red,
white and then green.
Part
1 : Base of the Potli bag
Make
two pieces
Start
Round 1 (with red yarn) : with a magic
circle and 12 dc in that circle.
Join
with a sl-st to the 1st dc. Pull lightly to close the magic circle.
Rounds 2 – 3 : (with red yarn) : 2 dc in the 1st dc
and in each dc all around.
Join
with a sl-st to the 1st dc.
Round 4 :
(with red yarn) : 2 dc in the 1st dc ;
*dc in the next dc ; 2 dc in
the next dc*.
Rep
*to* till end ;
dc in the last dc.
Join
with a sl-st to the 1st dc.
Now
here’s where this gets tricky and where you get to make decisions and design a
difference. If you are making a small
bag, then carry on with me.
If you
decide to make a larger bag, then work a few more rounds of Rounds 4 (increasing
12 dc each round) and 5 (which is a non-increase round) till you have a
slightly larger round base. (Read Note 1 )
In
our following round, we are going to “flatten” the top off our round and make
this a slightly flattish top. So how do
we do that? At this point, you should
have 72 sts.
I
have decided not to work the last 24 sts. So I have counted off the last
24 sts and placed a marker in that 24th st from end. So in our next round, work dc only till the
marked st, and then sc till end.
Note 1
: Oh, if you are making a larger bag, and are working a larger round, you will
follow this idea, but you will be placing your marker not on the 24th
st from end but on whichever st gives you a flattish top. As your bag will
be bigger, the number of stitches you will leave for the opening will also be
more.
Round 5 :
dc in the 1st dc and in each dc till the marked st ;
hdc in the
marked st ; sc in the next 22 sts ;
hdc in the last st and join with a sl-st to
the 1st dc.
Move
marker up.
Double crochet 2-tog : dc 2-tog : [yo, insert hk in st or ch-sp, yo and pull up a lp ; yo and draw through 2 lps] 2 times (3 lps on hk) ;
{yo, draw through 2 lps on hk} 2 times. One dc 2-tog made.
This video tutorial at https://youtu.be/1_oPlUfN5eg shows you how to use the dc 2-tog to decrease.
Sometimes we work the dc 2-tog in the same stitch, to use as a decorative stitch. Visit this video tutorial at https://youtu.be/lLUXOJ1sY9w
Round 6 :
hdc in the 1st 2 sts ;
dc 2-tog over the next 2 dc ;
dc and in each dc
till the last 4 dc before the marker,
dc 2-tog over the next 2 dc ; hdc in the
next 2 dc,
sc in the marked st and in each st till the end.
Join with a sl-st to the 1st dc.
Move
marker up.
From
the following row on, we will not work the last 24 sts and work back and
forth in rows between markers.
Change to white yarn. Fasten
off red yarn.
Round 7 :
(Using white yarn) :
hdc in the 1st 4 dc ;
dc 2-tog over the next 2
dc ;
dc and in each dc till the last 6 dc before the marker,
dc 2-tog over the
next 2 dc ; hdc in the next 4 dc. Turn.
You
can put the markers away, as the end of our row will be where we have ended
with the white yarn.
Change to green yarn
Round 7 :
(Using green yarn) :
hdc in the 1st 4 dc ;
dc and in each dc till
the last 4 dc before the marker, hdc in the next 4 dc. Turn.
Fasten
off and weave in ends.
Make
one more piece in exactly the same way.
Part
2 : Side for our bag
For
the sides of our bag, I have decided to make a flat rectangle which I plan on attaching
around the sides of the green watermelon part.
This will give our bag a little thickness / space.
For
this, please first count the number of stitches you have in your last row (so
check either or both the green and white rows).
You
should have the same number of stitches for both the halves of your bag.
This
is the start number of stitches that you will use for your rectangle.
Start Row 1 : With green yarn :
(Using fsc for the number of stitches you just counted)
: with as many stitches as needed / counted.
Turn.
Rows 2 - 4 : (Using green yarn) : sc in the 1st
fsc and in each fsc till end.
Fasten
off.
Finishing :
Now
all we need to do is attach this rectangular strip to the sides of the bag only
from one end to the other along the green section.
Using
one of the methods below, please join the flat strip to the rounded purse.
Whipstitch to join : Here’s a quick tutorial on how to join using the whipstitch at https://youtu.be/wZ-9LNzftMA
Invisible join : Here’s a quick tutorial on how to join using the embroidery needle and whipstitch to get an invisible join at https://youtu.be/a6XZQ6VzJFM
Single crochet to join : Here’s a quick tutorial on how to join using the single crochet at https://youtu.be/6FXoW_47_dI
a) How to line the bag : View the link below to see how to easily line your handbag. http://pattern-paradise.com/2014/06/12/tutorial-how-to-line-a-crocheted-bag/
b) Easiest I-cord : Check out this video for a really easy I-cord at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_AQ9m0QeZI
c) How to attach a zipper : Check this link at http://frogknitting.blogspot.se/2013/08/att-sy-i-dragkedjor-installing-zippers.html?m=1
If
you want to add more authenticity, go ahead and either embroider in black
seeds, OR add in some beads to mimic the seeds of the lovely watermelon.
Finally,
I have added a few watermelon seeds using a black yarn and some embroidery thread.
We’re
ready to show off this lovely creation too.
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If you'd like to check out some of my other bag patterns, here goes
